It’s success On a plate!
Talented young chefs wow judges in contest showcasing top local produce
Move over, Nadiya Hussain and Gary Maclean. The past holders of the Great British Bake-Off and MasterChef crowns are facing hot competition – in the shape of Lanarkshire’s most talented young kitchen maestros.
The region’s budding young chefs are proving they have the culinary scene licked after accepting the challenge to conjure up their own mouth-watering recipes using the finest of ingredients produced on home turf.
Thirty enthusiastic young cooks and bakers from schools across North and South Lanarkshire jumped at the chance when regional food group Lanarkshire Larder – which champions local, sustainable quality food and drink from the area – invited them to show off their skills in a bake and cook-off challenge designed to showcase the finest produce Lanarkshire has to offer.
Lanarkshire Larder’s members include food and drink producers, restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and farm shops – all of whom share a passion about the provenance and quality of the products they make or sell.
In a bid to raise awareness among young people of the diverse range of quality food and drink from Lanarkshire, the organisation invited pupils to select produce from independent businesses and use their imagination and culinary flair to create delicious dishes that will give home cooks food for thought.
By taking part in the challenge, the pupils took Lanarkshire Larder one step closer to its goal of establishing Lanarkshire as a centre of excellence for food and drink.
The recent competition heated up when shortlisted teams were announced by its three expert judges: Paul Clark, chef lecturer at New College Lanarkshire; and Lanarkshire Larder members Jean Miller, of award-winning artisan food producer Millers Larder, and Donna Hood – operations manager at Cairn Lodge Farm Shop and Kitchen.
Making it through to the final were Hayley Stewart and Ava McNeil, of Calderside Academy, Blantyre, who cooked tongue-tingling spicy beef stir fry using Scotch beef from Coopers Butchers and Glen Heather Honey.
They were joined in the final by pupils from Taylor High School in New Stevenston, Asma Farzand and Ava-Grace Bradshaw, who baked fluffy coffee cupcakes using milk and eggs from What’s Fresh, flour from Cadzow Bakehouse, chocolate from Bella Chocolate and Fower’s coffee.
Also shortlisted was the threestrong team from East Kilbride’s Calderglen High. Stella Byrne, Amy Saunders and Evan Boyle dished up a plate of sizzling chicken fajitas using chicken from The Butchery Kitchen and vegetables from Shirley’s Kitchen Garden.
After much deliberating, judges announced coffee cupcake creators Asma and Ava-Grace of Team Taylor the winners.
Their bakes will now be made and sold to customers in his Fower roastery in Strathaven by Stuart Jamieson – who admits his piped icing won’t come close to the perfection of the girls.
As well as having their winning recipe featured on the Lanarkshire Larder website, Asma and Ava-Grace also won a farm visit for their class – which will be organised with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) to connect the journey of food – and a cookery demonstration from Quality Meat Scotland.
They also scooped a host of prizes and ingredients donated by generous Lanarkshire Larder members.
Describing the competition as a great experience, Asma said: “I met lots of new people from other schools and the judges were absolutely fantastic.
“If I could, I would definitely do it again. I loved creating my own recipe. I also enjoyed finding out about ingredients available from local food places in Lanarkshire.”
Equally delighted was Taylor High
School teacher Kelsey Bannatyne, who added: “The competition brought a great buzz to my S3 health and food technology class. All the pupils were so excited to be involved in working with local producers, restaurants, cafes, hotels and farm shops to create their recipe using local and seasonal produce.
“As a school, we were over-themoon to find out our pupils made it into the final held at New College Lanarkshire, Motherwell.
“Both Asma and Ava-Grace were so grateful for the opportunity of attending the college to compete against other local schools with their own recipe. We are so proud of everyone involved.”
Judge Jean Miller was hugely impressed by the enthusiasm of pupils and teachers, and the preparation and thought the contestants had clearly put into their dishes and accompaniments.
“We liked how they used the ingredients imaginatively from Lanarkshire Larder to complement and enhance their cooking and baking,” said Jean.
“That was one of the key deciding factors, as the scores were so close. It really impressed the judges how well cooked, seasoned and tender the chicken fajitas and beef stir fry dishes were. We could happily have eaten much more!”
Scouting for future talent was New College Lanarkshire chef lecturer Paul Clark, who said the competition promoted learning about the merits of Scottish and Lanarkshire produce, and the importance of partnerships between producers and education.
Commented Paul: “It provided the pupils with an opportunity to explore product development and practice their culinary skills, which they displayed to great effect in the New College Lanarkshire’s training kitchen.”
Lanarkshire Larder project coordinator Alison Bankier thanked partnership organisations the Royal Highland Education Trust for facilitating the farm visit for the
winners’ class, Quality Meat Scotland who kindly donated aprons and chopping boards, and competition promoters Food & Drink Federation Scotland – an organisation that champions the wide variety of careers within the industry.
A part-time health and food technology teacher who is passionate about promoting food education and the importance of buying local produce, Alison added: “Thank you to our dedicated teachers, who have helped support the project, and New College Lanarkshire who have allowed pupils the opportunity to experience cooking with Lanarkshire produce in such great facilities.”